Giants’ Updated Lineup, Payroll After Michael Conforto’s Reported $36M Contract

Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

It’s not Carlos Correa. It’s not Aaron Judge.

But the San Francisco Giants did make an improvement to their lineup Friday.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the National League West team agreed to a two-year, $36 million contract with outfielder Michael Conforto. According to Spotrac, the Giants’ projected total payroll for 2023 at this point is $152.9 million.

FanGraphs provided a look at San Francisco’s potential starting lineup following the deal:

1. CF Mike Yastrzemski

2. RF Mitch Haniger

3. DH Michael Conforto

4. LF Joc Pederson

5. 3B Wilmer Flores

6. 2B Thairo Estrada

7. 1B J.D. Davis

8. SS Brandon Crawford

9. C Joey Bart

Quite frankly, Conforto is a consolation prize at best for the Giants.

It was no secret they were in on Judge, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post even had to issue an apology after he suggested the slugger was heading to San Francisco. All was well, though, when San Francisco agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal with Correa.

Until it wasn’t.

The deal was never actually finalized because of medical worries, and Correa instead agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract with the New York Mets.

That left the Giants scrambling, and it appears they have landed on Conforto.

There was a time when Conforto would have been a major addition as well. He was an All-Star in 2017 when he slashed .279/.384/.555 with 27 home runs and 68 RBI, and he followed that effort with 28 long balls in 2018 and 33 in 2019.

However, he took a step back in 2021 with a .232/.344/.384 slash line to go with 14 home runs and 55 RBI in 125 games for the Mets. He then missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Conforto could be the anchor of the Giants’ lineup if he returns to his All-Star form after missing a season. He is just 29 years old and may be healthier now that he addressed the concern with surgery.

Yet San Francisco fans could be forgiven if they feel something of a letdown given how the offseason has unfolded.